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Special Mission: Accomplished

What
began two years ago as a dream has now become a reality as a special-needs
classroom at Topeka High School has undergone the finishing touches on an
extreme makeover. THS senior Jack Hishmeh took the initiative on a project to
update and improve the school’s special education classroom in 2011 after
he befriended some special-need students.

More
than $20,000 was donated, and the room today sports new laminate flooring,
carpeting, wooden window blinds, new wooden cabinets, an oven, cook-top,
refrigerator and dishwasher. The public was invited in to see the renovated
classroom at an open house on October 12th. Many contributors,
community members and staff dropped in to celebrate the successful conclusion
of Jack's project.

Also
through Jack's efforts, a Special Opps group was formed through which students
would spend their lunch periods in the special-needs room, or would take the
special-needs students to the cafeteria where they could eat lunch with the rest
of the student body.

Today,
Jack takes great satisfaction in knowing the project was completed before his
graduation. He said he couldn’t have accomplished the project without the
assistance of scores of other students, teachers, parents and people from the
community, including businesses that generously donated to the project. He and
his family also gave special thanks to special education teacher Claudia
Shover-Daily, principal Dr. Linda Wiley, Pamela Johnson- Betts, and the
Topeka Public Schools Foundation for their support and guidance throughout the
project's progress.

“There’s a warm feeling when you enter the
room,” Jack said. “We were shooting for a more homey feel, and I think that’s
what we got.”

Though
Jack is in his final year at Topeka High, the Special Opps group is likely to
continue after he is gone, as most of the 40 students involved are sophomores
and juniors.